Mango Mia:
Celebrating the Tropical World of Mangoes

By Vikas Khanna
 

Summers in India always meant trips to busy hill stations, power cuts and exotic fruits. Living in the US, the one thing that I miss the most is my share of the summer fruits that are enjoyed by my family in my absence. I am thrilled to hear that Bush is planning to lift the ban on the import of the King of Fruits - Mangoes from India.

"The United States is looking forward to eating Indian mangoes as part of liberalizing trades and opening markets," Bush said

India is the largest exporter of Mangoes in the world and is proud of its approx 1500 varieties. 
Alphonso, Ratnagiri, Bulsar, Dashehari, Langra, Bombay Green,Chausa, Himsagar and Sundari are a few wonderful varieties that I have been using in my cooking all my life.

Just like we use different variety of apples in recipes in the US, it is the same with mangoes too. This agreement will help chefs prepare the many recipes, which require these specific varieties. This will definitely add another color to the canvas of American Cuisine.

I am also excited about this decision as it will definitely benefit all, especially the farmers and the exporters and of course Indians living in the US. 
 
But, at the moment I am thinking only of the great recipes that I can recreate here in the USA, which until now lacked the depth of flavor - one of the recipes which were the delights of my childhood was homemade mango ice cream made in a hand-cranked ice cream maker. It seemed magic to me at that time and even today, but understanding the mechanics of the ice cream maker is definitely not a prerequisite to enjoying the fresh ice cream with the whole family. 
Other Recipes - Panna, Mango Rabdi, Mango Lassi (never had that in India?), Mango etc.

Mangoes are native to southeastern Asia, where they have been grown for more than 4,000 years. Because the mango seed can't be dispersed naturally by wind or water due to its large size and weight, it is believed that people who moved from one region to another transported the fruit to new areas. Mango cultivation has now spread to many parts of the tropical and sub-tropical world, where they grow best.

Mangoes were carried to Africa during the 16th century and later found their way aboard Portuguese ships to Brazil in the 1700's. Later, in 1742, mangoes were found growing in the West Indies.

In 1860, mangoes were successfully introduced to Florida along the east coast, where only a few varieties were grown.

Asia still accounts for more than three-quarters of the world's mangoes, with India remaining the main producer.

Did you know that India grows more mangoes than all its other fruits combined?

Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand are the other main countries in the world where mangoes are grown.

Most of the mangoes sold in the United States are grown in Florida or imported from Mexico, Haiti, the Caribbean and South America.   
  

Top U.S. State producer:
Florida

Top World producers:
#1 India & #2 South America
  
How to Select and Store
Look for mangoes with unblemished yellow skin with a red tinge or blush. Avoid mangoes with bruises or soft spots. You can buy green mangoes and ripen them at home by placing them in a brown paper bag on your counter for 2 to 3 days. Ripe mangoes will last 2 to 3 days at room temperature or for up to 5 days in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. 

Nutrition Information 
Mangos are rich in vitamins A and C. One serving (1/2 medium mango) contains 70 calories, 40% of your daily vitamin A and 15% of your daily vitamin C. 

SPECIALTY RECIPES

Two tasty items starring the King Of Fruits courtesy of Master Chef Vikas Khanna.

MANGO LASSI 

In Indian restaurants, lassi is served with the meal, but we frequently find this exotic "smoothie" too filling to accompany a main course and prefer it in place of dessert or snack.

   
SERVES 4 

2 1/2 cups chopped peeled mango (from about 2 1/2 lb very ripe mangoes) or mango puree.  
  
1/4 cup sugar   
  
1 qt well-shaken buttermilk or yogurt.

1 tsp cardamom powder  
  

METHOD 

Purée mango with sugar in a blender until smooth. Add buttermilk/ yogurt and blend well. Force through a very fine sieve into a large glass measure. Add cardamom powder. Serve lassi over ice in tall glasses.  

CHICKEN AND MANGO WRAPS  

This dish combines the sweetness of the mango with delicate flavor of Thai basil.

Shrimp is an excellent substitute for the chicken. 

SERVES 4  
1/3 cup sour cream   
1/3 cup mayonnaise   
1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai basil   
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives   
2 1/4 teaspoons salt   
1/4 teaspoon black pepper   
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice   
2 grilled cold chicken breasts   
1 (1-lb) firm-ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch cubes   
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas   
1 (6-oz) bunch watercress or spinach.

METHOD 

Pulse sour cream, mayonnaise, Thai basil, chives, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a blender until herbs are finely chopped and mixture is pale green.

Dice the grilled chicken breasts into small cubes. Mix the green paste & mangoes with the chicken to create a chicken salad.

Toast tortillas 1 at a time directly on burner (gas or electric) at moderately high heat, turning over and rotating with tongs, until puffed slightly and browned in spots but still flexible, 30 to 40 seconds. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel as toasted and stack, loosely wrapped in towel.  

Divide watercress among tortillas, arranging it across middle, then top with 1 1/4 cups chicken salad. Tuck in ends of wraps, then roll up tightly to enclose filling. Cut wraps in half diagonally.

Serve with the Thai mayonnaise as a dipping sauce.   

A chef by profession, Vikas Khanna's food is a blend of his traditional Indian Culinary Background and the flavors and history of the highly diversified New York food culture. He is owner/executive chef and consultant to several restaurants and has won acclaim from the prestigious James Beard Foundation.
Vikas is the founder of New York Chef Chefs 'Cooking for Life', a non profit organization that brings together celebrated chefs of New York City, for tasting events to raise funds for relief efforts around the world. The proceeds of the events benefit organizations such as Save the Children, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, and many more.
Based on his research on the power of the palate, he has created, Vision of Palate, a series of food tasting workshops, designed to educate people with visual disabilities about the complex flavors and aromas of spices and herbs
Through SAKIV (South Asian Kids Infinite Vision), Vikas reaches out to different EYE foundations around South Asia. 'SAKIV- world' was established in 2005 to host vision expos all around the world. Vikas is an honorary member on the Board of the World Peace Society, New York.
He is the compiler and illustrator of the book,'The Cuisine of Gandhi: Based on the Beliefs of the Legend', a selection of Gandhi's writings on food. His forthcoming book 'The Spice Story of India', is his journal of recipes that are a result of his experiences while working with culinary masters.
Vikas is a graduate of the WelcomGroup School of Hotel and Hospitality Administration, India. He has also studied restaurant management at Cornell University, Food writing at Culinary Institute of America and Food Styling at The New School. He has taught at The New School Culinary Arts, Johnson & Wales, New York University, and Harvard Extension School.

To know more about Vikas Khanna and his work, please visit www.vkhanna.com.

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